The Royal Physician's Visit: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Royal Physician's Visit" explores the intricate dynamics among key characters in the context of 18th-century Denmark, focusing on themes of power, love, and betrayal. Johann Friedrich Struensee, a German physician turned statesman, plays a pivotal role as the royal physician to the mentally unstable King Christian VII. Struensee's Enlightenment ideals drive him to implement progressive reforms while navigating the complexities of court life and his affair with Queen Caroline Mathilde. Caroline, initially trapped in a loveless marriage, grows in confidence as she embarks on a passionate relationship with Struensee, ultimately facing devastating consequences.
King Christian VII's erratic behavior, influenced by a troubled upbringing, leads to his reliance on Struensee, who becomes both a confidant and the de facto ruler of Denmark. However, Struensee's rise to power makes him enemies, particularly Ove Høegh-Guldberg, a conservative professor who seeks to undermine him. The interplay of ambition, manipulation, and personal relationships culminates in betrayal, as Struensee is arrested and executed, while Caroline is left to suffer the loss of her children and freedom. This narrative captures the tragic interplay of human emotions against a backdrop of political intrigue and societal expectations, offering a rich tapestry of character motivations and historical context.
The Royal Physician's Visit: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Per Olov Enquist
Alternate Title: The Visit of the Royal Physician; Livläkarens besök
First published: 1999 (English translation, 2001)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish royal castles
Plot: Historical
Time: 1760–84
Johann Friedrich Struensee, a German physician who becomes a powerful statesman in Denmark. He is unusually tall, with blond hair, good teeth, and a shapely mouth. Reti-cent and kind, he is known as “The Silent One.” He is fascinated with the ideas of the European Enlightenment. While working as physician for the poor, he is appointed royal physician for the mentally unstable King Christian VII of Denmark. Struensee gains the confidence of Christian VII, helps to lessen the king's erratic outbursts, and is eventually entrusted with affairs of the state. He views this as a great opportunity to make Denmark into a progressive nation. While he lets Christian play, Struensee writes hundreds of reform edicts, which the king signs routinely. With Christian's encouragement, Struensee—who is undeterred by risks—becomes Queen Caroline Mathilde's lover. After the queen becomes pregnant, he ignores all warnings about threats from his enemies and goes on a summer retreat with her and the king. There he delivers the queen's baby daughter; despite the happy event, Struensee begins to sense that he is doomed. His enemies bully the king into signing Struensee's arrest warrant, and he is arrested in Copenhagen on January 17, 1772. In prison, after he is threatened with torture and with harm to the queen's daughter, Struensee confesses his affair. He is executed on April 28, 1772.
Caroline Mathilde, sister of English King George III and wife of Christian VII of Denmark. She has fine skin, an ample bosom, long blond hair, blue eyes, and full lips. Married in November 1766 at fifteen, she discovers that her husband is mentally unstable and does not love her. Although initially terrified of the move to Denmark, she becomes more self-confident as she settles into her role as queen. Christian has intercourse with her out of duty, and she gives birth to a son, Frederik, in 1768. After this Caroline Mathilde awakens sexually. She falls in love with Johann Friedrich Struensee—originally Christian's royal physician, now his royal proxy. She has a baby daughter with Struensee. After Struensee's fall from power, Christian divorces her and she is imprisoned. Her daughter is legally deemed the king's and taken away from her. Banished from Denmark forever, she dies of fever in a German castle in 1775; her legacy lives on through her son and daughter.
Christian VII, a mentally unstable Danish king. He has a delicate stature and a small-boned body with almost-feminine features. He ages badly and, at thirty-three, looks like an old man. Either through his abusive upbringing or a psychological condition, or a combination of both, he suffers bouts of melancholy followed by blind rages. His body twitches and he talks incoherently at times. His mother dies when he is two, and he is placed in the brutal hands of Count Ditlev Reventlow, who beats him mercilessly. At sixteen, upon his father's death, he is crowned King Christian VII. He considers his marriage to Caroline Mathilde mere play-acting. His erratic behavior persuades the courtiers to appoint a royal physician to take care of him. This physician, Struensee, becomes the king's confidant and friend; eventually the king makes him the effective ruler of Denmark. Reserving his affections for his dog and his African page, Moranti, Christian encourages Struensee to have an affair with his wife, the queen. When his enemies arrest Struensee, Christian is bullied to sign the arrest warrant and prevented from halting Struensee's execution. He is made to divorce Caroline Mathilde and to accept her daughter as his. The court tutor, Guldberg, takes control of Denmark until 1784 when Christian's son, Frederik, assumes power, ruling as regent until Christian's death.
Ove Høegh-Guldberg, a conservative Danish professor appointed tutor to Prince Frederik and a mortal enemy of Struensee. At four feet ten, he is extremely small, gnome-like, and prematurely aging, but he has piercing ice-gray eyes and commands attention. Of humble origins, Guldberg relishes the chance to bring down powerful people like Struensee, whom he considers immoral. He conspires with Christian's stepmother, the Dowager Queen, to have Struensee and his friends arrested on false charges of treason. After Struensee's execution, Guldberg rules Denmark for Christian VII from 1772 to 1784, when he is deposed by Christian's son.
Élie Salomon François Reverdil, Christian VII's tutor. He is Jewish, with a gaunt, tall but stooped, body and a gentle kind disposition. He tries to cheer up Christian on their walks but feels powerless to stop Count Reventlow's abuse of the boy. He is banished by Christian VII soon after Christian's wedding. Struensee recalls Reverdil to help mind Christian VII and support Struensee's reforms. Reverdil is arrested with Struensee; he is then sent to Switzerland.
Dowager Queen Juliane Marie, Christian VII's stepmother. Of nondescript European features, she is devoted to her own son, Frederik. She is manipulative and controlling, driven by the need for power. She loathes Struensee and conspires with Guldberg to have him arrested and executed.
Enevold Brandt, a courtier and one of Christian's caretakers. German, with regular European looks, Brandt is a social climber. After joining the Danish court, he introduces Christian to the prostitute Bottine Caterine. He comes to resent his position and bites Christian's finger after Christian insults him. For this he is eventually put to death.
Anna Catharine “Bottine Caterine” Beuthaken, a prostitute who becomes Christian's lover. She has some of her mother's African features and a strong character. Christian comes to adore her and calls her the “Mistress of the Universe.” Guldberg secretly arrests her and has her sent to Hamburg, but Christian never forgets her.
Count Ditlev Reventlow, young Christian's caretaker and educator. He is a sadist who whips, tortures, and terrorizes the boy. This treatment may be responsible for Christian's mental instability.
Moranti, a young African boy given to Christian as a page. Moranti becomes Christian's beloved playmate. He disappears after Struensee's arrest.
Louise Augusta, daughter of Struensee and Caroline Mathilde. Fair- skinned with blond hair, she is ten months old when her mother is forced to give her up. She is officially considered to be Christian's daughter and raised as a princess.